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Chapter 15
Jace
Cirilla regarded me pensively, her head tipped to the side, strands spilling out of her high bun.
“I’m not entirely sure what you’re asking here,” she said. “You want me to train her?”
“Yes—no—well, yes and no,” I replied, shaking my head and gesturing for her to sit down in the chair across from my desk. “That’s a part of it.”
“I have no training in any of the elements, not really. I mean, I know the basics,” the enchantress answered slowly.
“You’re the best enchantress in the kingdom,” I reminded her, and she scoffed, falling gracefully into the chair and dangling her legs over the sides of the arms lazily.
“Iknowthat,” she replied. “But that makes me a master of my craft, not a specialist. What do you want me to do with Elix?”
“I don’t want you todoanything with her,” I replied quickly, not liking her tone at all. “I want you to investigate where her powers came from. It’s something that sits heavily on her, and I think she’d like to understand them better.”
Cirilla’s purple gaze bored into me as if she wanted to ask me something but didn’t know how to phrase it.
“What, Cirilla?” I demanded with a sigh. “Out with it now.”
“We can run tests,” she finally said, but that wasn’t what she wanted to say; I could feel it. But I didn’t press the issue. “I can take her blood and run her DNA.”
My forehead creased as I considered it. “Isn’t there any other, less intrusive way?”
“I’ve already scanned her,” Cirilla admitted, and I scowled deeply.
“What the hell does that mean?” I growled, standing to splay my hands forcefully over my desk.
“No offense, Jace, but you’re so busy partying and screwing around, someone has to watch out for the interests of the castle.”
I was fully offended, and my expression must have told her as much because Cirilla held up her palms as if in mercy. “All I’m saying is that when you invite a virtual stranger to live here, I’m going to vet her.”
“Elix isn’t a stranger, though. She was born here, in Goldhaven Palace,” I barked. “There was no need for you to scan her without permission!”
“And she left when she was a child. She’s fully grown now, an adult.”
There was a distinct stirring in my pants at the reminder.
“I’m well aware of what is happening in the castle,” I hissed. “You will not conduct unauthorized interactions with anyone again. Next time, there will be consequences.”
She nodded and kept her head bowed. “As you wish.”
Allowing my anger to simmer at the revelation, I took a deep breath. “What did you find?”
Cirilla raised her head. “With the scan?”
“Yes.” I saw the small smile before she could hide it, and my frown became a crater. “Don’t gloat, Cirilla. You had no right to do that.”
“I didn’t find anything. It’s not like Elix is dabbling in dark magic or anything. Obviously. Or I would have told you already.”
Relaxing, I reclaimed my seat, shaking my head. “If you think a blood test is the only way to get to the bottom of this…”
“I do.”
“Then you’ll need to get her permission first,” I concluded firmly.
“Of course, Jace. What do you think? I’m going to creep around, following her in the shadows with a needle in hand?”
